Page 87 of Secret Pleasure (Bound Hearts 13)

Emergency lights cast a red glow around her, making it harder to see through the heavy smoke, disorienting her before she placed her forehead against the floor, drawing in what little fresh air could be found.

Oh God, she hurt now.

Hell, the other bruises hadn’t healed yet.

A painful, furious groan escaped her as her fist clenched, her teeth grinding in fury.

She was going to kill someone.… She swore she was.

“Alyssa!”

“Alyssa, where are you!”

“Dammit, ’Lyssa, where are you?”

She lifted her hand, almost laughing at the thought that there wasn’t a chance in hell they could see her.

“’Lyssa, answer me!” Shane said. And he sounded really put out.

Spanish curses were ripping through the air and when Sebastian was cursing in Spanish, it was a sure indication he was seriously losing all that patience he swore he had. Not that she saw a lot of proof of it.

’Bastian was cursing harder than he had the day the

y learned she had a penchant for climbing.

She tried to call back to him, only to begin coughing violently in reaction to the smoke she drew into her lungs.

Oh, just let her get her hands on whoever did this. Coughing up smoke hurt, dammit.

“Alyssa!” Hard hands grasped her shoulders, pulling her up into a broad chest and quickly moving from the oxygen-deprived area and into the back courtyard.

As she drew in fresh air, another coughing fit wracked her chest from the abrasive smoke still lingering in her lungs. Spanish curses were still filling the air, which only pissed her off because she couldn’t have a little hissy fit herself for the wracking spasms ripping her lungs apart.

“Here.” A plastic oxygen mask was pushed over her face, pure oxygen spilling to her lungs as she breathed in, tears pouring from her eyes from the stinging effects of the smoky hallway.

“What happened?” Batting the mask away a second later, she lifted her head from where it had dropped to the hard shoulder it was resting against.

Sebastian’s shoulder. He’d taken a seat on one of the large, comfortable iron chairs spread out around the shaded courtyard outside the offices at the back of the house.

“We’re not sure yet.” Shane tried to push the mask over her face again.

“Get that away from me.” Pushing it aside again, she stared up at his face, watching as he checked the area, eyes narrowed, taking notice of each and every person gathered outside with them.

“My office was blown up.” She turned to Sebastian. “A text came into my phone—”

“We got the text.” He nodded, watching her closely.

“Pissed me off,” she sighed. “I jumped up and headed for the door. The next thing I knew I was being thrown into the wall like some kind of damned doll. That was not fun, ’Bastian.”

Her fingers were clenched into the material of the fine cotton shirt he wore. She turned her head to glare at him. “And I swear to God, if anyone calls Dr. Brennan I’ll shoot them myself. You hear me?”

“No, I agree, that wouldn’t be fun, baby. And I hear you loud and clear.” Sebastian tightened his arms around her, his gaze tracking everyone in the yard, wondering who was stupid enough to plant an explosive device in her office. It had to have been someone in the house, because they’d just checked her office before they left her suite a few hours before.

“Alyssa?” John Raeg—pronounced “rage,” as he was always quick to correct anyone who pronounced it otherwise—her father’s chief of staff, moved across the stone terrace quickly, a heavy scowl on his craggy features, his cell phone to his ear. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, feeling Sebastian’s hand as it continued to rub her back as a shudder raced up her spine. “I’m fine, Raeg.”

Turning, he was speaking into the phone as he moved back toward the house, the sound of sirens rushing steadily closer.